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Several prominent international airports across the US, such as Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Harry Reid International, Seattle-Tacoma International, and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, have opted to block a video from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem that attributes responsibility to Democrats for the current federal government shutdown from being shown at their screening locations.

Regulatory Issues Raised by Aviation Authorities

Aviation administrators in Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Seattle, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, and Westchester, New York have declined to show the video content at screening areas, stating that the political statements could violate state and federal law, such as the Hatch Act, which forbids government workers from engaging in partisan political activity.

“Democrats in Congress decline to support funding for the federal government, and because of this, many of our operations are impacted, and most of our Transportation Security Administration employees are not receiving wages,” the Secretary stated in the video.

The Port of Portland Response

The Portland airport authority noted that it “would not agree to playing the PSA in its present version, as we believe the federal law clearly prohibits utilization of government resources for political purposes.” It added that state regulations in Oregon bars public employees from promoting or opposing any party affiliation and that consenting to broadcast this video would break state law.

Las Vegas Statement

The Harry Reid airport also declined to show the TSA video on similar grounds, saying in a statement that “the video's message contained political messaging that was inconsistent with the impartial, informational purpose of the public service announcements usually displayed at security checkpoints” and also cited the federal act.

Understanding the Hatch Act

The Hatch Act is a federal law that prohibits political activities by federal employees to ensure that public services stay impartial.

Further Authority Rejections

• Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport explained that it “declined to display the PSA” to stay “in line with airport policy,” which does not allow partisan material.
• The Seattle port authority, which manages Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, similarly refused, pointing to “the political nature of the video.”
• Charlotte airport clarified that North Carolina municipal law and the airport’s policy for screen content “do not allow the video in question.” The airport also added that the TSA lacks ownership of any screens at its security areas and that its limited digital screens are designated for directions, travel information, and revenue-generating services.

Westchester County Criticism

The county, in a public comment, called the video “inappropriate, unacceptable, and inconsistent with the values we anticipate from our federal leaders.”

“The PSA makes political the effects of a federal government shutdown on TSA operations,” the county leader stated, noting that the tone was “unnecessarily alarmist” and “erodes customer confidence.”

Homeland Security Reply

A Department of Homeland Security official, an agency representative, repeated Noem’s language to attribute fault to “partisan tactics” in a statement, stating that “Democrats will soon recognize the significance of opening the government.”

Bipartisan Appeals for Resolution

The Seattle authority commented that it continued to “encourage cooperative actions to end the federal closure” and was striving to find methods to assist federal employees working without pay during the closure.